this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2024
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Photo by Ryan Humphrey

A young Long Eared Owl showing off its third eyelids. These are called nictitating membranes. They add extra protection to the eyes from physical damage and keep them most during flight.

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[–] anon6789 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Nope, they have 3!

They have an upper lid for blinking, a lower one for sleeping, and this one for protection.

Check out my old post and the comments for some more details and to see the possible vestigial human third eyelid!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] anon6789 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm owl-ways here to answer your questions!